No sooner looked but they loved
by DowntonIsMyLife
Summary: My entry to the Mistletoe Challenge. A sneaky Anna sets up a little surprise for Mrs Hughes that leads to more than she expected at Christmas.


**This is my entry to the mistletoe challenge set by Batwings79 and Onesimus**  
><strong>Ship – Carson and Mrs Hughes<strong>  
><strong>Rating – T<strong>  
><strong>Criteria – Kiss under the mistletoe, A drunken Mrs Patmore and a Shakespearian quote<strong>

The snow had fallen and covered Downton in a thick white blanket of excitement, it hadnt snowed for christmas in 5 years. The younger staff were returning to the house, drenched and being hurried up the stairs before they caught neumonia, but Mrs Hughes couldnt help but smile to see the joy the snow brought.  
>On her way back to her sitting room she glanced into the kitchen where Daisy, Anna and Gwen stood giggling about something, but she caught sight of Mrs Patmore behind them, drinking brandy straight from the bottle, she hurried into the kitchen.<p>

"Mrs Patmore, what in heavens name are you doing?" The three girls turned in surprise as the Housekeeper came in.

"It's christmas Mrs Hughes, Im just taking the edge off" she hicupped

"Even so.."

"Fine, I will not touch another drop" raising her hands to surrender.

As she left, she heard the girls snickering. Mrs Patmore turned towards them and with a wicked grin said "If you three are looking for some mischevious fun, there's your chance," she nodded towards Mrs Hughes who was standing in the door of the Butlers pantry. The girls looked back, confused, Mrs Patmore gestured for them to come over as she whispered her plan.

"Just to warn you, Mrs Patmore's had a little to much to drink Mr Carson. I'd just thought I'd let you know"

"Did you tell her to stop?"

"Well yes, but she doesnt listen to me when she's sober let alone when drunk"

"Should make for an entertaining evening" he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear as she left, they winked at each other.

Both Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes were later summoned by Lady Grantham to help with things upstairs, so Anna saw this as her chance, she put Daisy on look out downstairs and Gwen upstairs, she shot a cheeky grin at Mrs Patmore, watching from the kitchen, as she snuck into Mrs Hughes's sitting room and closed the door.

After the servants had their christmas dinner everyone was full to burst and everyone had drunk there fair share tonight. Most just relaxed in the servants hall, some went to bed early and Carson and Mrs Hughes were in their sitting rooms.

Mrs Hughes sat on the settee, keeping warm by the fire, a book in one hand, the other fiddling with her dress and she had her feet curled under her. Sometimes the slitude she yearned for was found at the busiest of times. She looked from her book to the fire and watched it as it flickered.  
>She was broken from her thoughts by a knocking at the door, she couldnt hide her smile as she saw Mr Carson poke his head around the door.<p>

"Oh, i'll come back later" he began to leave.

"No no, Mr Carson it's fine" she threw her book on a nearby table and placed her hands on her lap. "Was there something you wanted?"

"Most of the staff have gone to bed and I thought there's no use being alone at christmas so i wondered if I could join you?"

"Of course" she smiled again.

"You've got your hair down Mrs Hughes" he noted, also noticing her shoes were poking out from under the setee.

"Well as it's christmas I thought i might dispense with the formalities of normal life"

He chuckled at this, he couldnt help but notice how lovely she looked, her eyes sparkled even in the dim light of the fire, her smile was always brighter at christmas, this combined with those few curls of hair falling around her face made her beauty evermore obvious. He sighed as he closed the door.

He sat next to her on the setee and leaned back against the back.

"Tired Mr Carson?"

"Just a bit" he turned his head to face her "if we're dispensing with formality you should probably call me Charles"

"Well then _Charles_, you'd better call me Elsie." She giggled, she'd never used his name before, even with their closeness, it felt odd.

He smiled and rolled his head back to look at the ceiling,

"Elsie? What's that?" he asked, confused.

She looked at him before adverting her gaze to where he was looking, hanging from the ceiling was a small branch of mistletoe with a red ribbon around it. 'How on earth did that get there?' she wondered.

"I believe it's mistletoe Charles" she said coyly

"I can see that, but what might it be doing on your ceiling?"

"I have no idea" she tried to sound innocent but somehow managed to sound like she was playing with him.  
>'This is very forward of her' he thought, if she was asking for what he thought she was.<br>He decided to change the topic of conversation completely,

"Are you enjoying whatever you're reading at the moment? Everytime I see you in here you appear to be reading"

"Ah yes, Im reading As You Like It, bit of Shakespeare for christmas"

"Shouldnt it be Dickens at christmas?" he raised his eyebrows as he turned to smile at her.

"I prefer Shakespeare, better love stories" she looked away, worried he might make something out of the latter comment.

He was quiet for a moment until he managed, "do you like love stories then...Elsie? He didnt move as he said this, not wanting to look her in the eye, worried he might give something away.

"I suppose I do, but only when they have a happy ending. I suppose Im a bit of a romantic when it comes to that" she blushed as her normal strict demeanour was slowly slipping away. "You'll think that's silly"

"Not at all, love stories are only love stories if they have a happy ending"

"Well what about Romeo and Juliet, supposedly the greatest love story? They both died" she tried to hide her smile as she found a flaw in his statement.

Sighing in defeat, "ok, well maybe that's the exception"

"They're worse when they're in love with someone who doesnt love them back..." she broke off, choking on her words and looked away hoping he wouldnt notice.

"Elsie?" He sat up straight to face her "are you alright?"

She turned back, feeling her lip tremble, she wouldnt cry, she musnt.  
>"Yes, I just hate storys of unrequited love" She looked down at her lap, placing her hands side by side on her knees.<p>

He unexpectedly reached over and covered her right hand with his left, she looked up, startled by his advance.

"Im guessing that's through experience? Rather than opinion?" He tilted his head to the right as he always did when he felt sorry for her.

She opened her mouth but couldnt speak, how could he know? Had she been to obvious with her feelings? She was normally so good at hiding how she felt inside but she had often let her guard down around him.  
>But she didnt have long to wonder before he moved his other hand over her lap to he leg and pulled her closer and round to face him.<p>

"I may be getting old Elsie, but Im not so old I cant tell when a women's repressing her feelings of love for someone" he moved his right hand from her thigh to hold her other hand. Looking up to see a tear begin to fall down her cheek, he reached up to brush it awaywith his thumb while he entwined his fingers in her hair.

She smiled at him, her eyes locked with his unable to look away. He slid his hand further round her head and gently pulled it forward as he moved towards her. He felt her smile as he kissed her, he felt her arms go around his waist as she deepened the kiss, 13 years of waiting wasnt about to stop her tonight. Regretfully he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. He could hear her breathing increase and saw her smile.

"No sooner met but they looked; no sooner looked but they loved" she whispered and he kissed her nose.

"No sooner loved but they sighed; no sooner sighed but they asked one another the reason; no sooner knew the reason but they sought the remedy." he finished for her, she looked up astonished.

"You know it?"

"It's always been my favourite quote, always hoped we might move on past the looking stage" curling her soft hair around his fingers.

She bit her lip as tears began to fall again, but they both knew they were tears of joy, he pulled her into him, one hand at the bottom of her back the other in her hair.

"Thank God for the mistletoe" he whispered into her hair.

She smiled as she layed her head on it's side on his shoulder, she closed her eyes and thought how an hour ago she was reading about love and now she was experiencing it.  
>Anna was lucky she had a sense of humour, she thought Mrs Hughes hadnt spotted her sneaking in and out of her parlour. Oh how easy it was to fool the younger girls. Well she didnt mind, how could she, when it led to where she was now. In the arms of the man she so desperatly loved.<p>

But she would never let Mrs Patmore near a bottle of brandy again.

**What do you think? Really appreciate reviews**


End file.
